How to Create Miniature 'Dead' plants for your Dollhouse.....(Because everyone has one!)
by Lisa Neault

We all have dead thumbs, or instead of green, they sometimes end up purple and black, and brown, the color of dead leaves. Here is a how-to for Halloween, to get you in the mood  for decorating that haphazard greenhouse! Happy Haunting! BOO!

Tools & Materials:
 

Optional Punch Bunch mini punches:

Mini Maple leaf punch

Mini Oak leaf punch

Mini birch leaf punch 

Brown or black cardstock, double-sided, with a weave texture  

Ball stylus

Mouse pad or fun foam
 

OR...

Small budding dried floral materials, available in your craft store or yard

Dead flower stalks, (I used Red Sage from my flowerpots that had died, any appropriate scaled flower stalk that is dead or dried will do-)

Wax paper or newspaper

Small terra cotta pots available from your craft store

Craft spray or sealer (I used Deco Art Triple Thick glossy)

Paints:

Folk Art brown antiquing stain

Burnt umber

Titanium white or off white

Folk Art #466 Pastel Green (to simulate patina)

Folk Art Medium Gray

Paintbrushes

Cup of water.

Tacky glue

Floral foam

Exacto knife

Scissors, small & sharp

Tweezers

Coffee grounds or railroad ballast dirt

Prepare the stalks:

1-

You may use dried flowers, so if you do, you can totally skip this option. I recycled my dead flowering red sage plants when I saw they were perfect for a 'dead' plant appearance. The recent heat temperatures had dried them perfectly.  I spread wax paper on the patio table, and laid each stalk out after trimming and cutting. Inspect your stems, and bake them in the oven before sealing at a low temperature. This will kill any bacteria remaining on them. Bake for about 5-10 minutes on a low temperature, or put in the microwave on a paper towel for 1-2 minutes. Monitor carefully!
 

2-

Spray the stalks with your Craft Spray. A Krylon matte spray will do, I used what I had on hand, which was Deco Art Triple Thick glossy spray. I sprayed each stalk twice, and let dry between coats. If you stalks stick together, don’t panic, they come apart easily, just be gentle since these are dried materials that are organic.

3-
 Lay aside, and go on to weathering and preparing your pots.

WEATHERING THE TERRA COTTA POTS:

1-     Weathering the pots for a haunted home, or alley, or to sit outside on a porch or greenhouse is extremely fun. Remember, these dead plants can be the oddball plant in an otherwise 'perfect' greenhouse or solarium, to give that added touch of realism.
 

2-     Take your exacto knife or even a small hammer, and gently 'chip' or crack the pots, but be gentle, they will break. If your pot breaks, don't despair! This can be the broken plant that is on the floor with dirt about.
 

3-     Wet your pots, and begin the 'dirty' washes. I used a variety of paints. White and the pastel greens I saved for last, as these have the appearance of mold, dust, and patina weathering on them. I began with storm grey and then used the brown stain, keeping it very watered down. Your 'dirty' washes will consist of one or two drops of paint to more water, as you wish just the faintest color washes. Let dry a little between each wash, but try to keep it wet. When the basic washes are finished, then it is time for your aging washes. There is no need to change the water between paints; remember, this is a dirty wash, so the grimier the better!
 

4-     You will use a dry brush method now. Use a faint trace of water with the white, you do not wish to have full strength white paint on the pot, very faint that resembles dust. I used the titanium white in a light wash, and then applied the pastel green with the dry brush method. Let dry.

THE LEAVES:

1-     If you are using punches from the punches mentioned (they are available on my website http://www.kingwilliamminiatures.us ) use a brown or black textured weave double sided cardstock. Cut small strips because these punches are quite small, and can be difficult to use on large pieces of cardstock. I bought my cardstock, which was Bazzil, from Memories Galore, but is available at any craft store. http://www.MemoriesGalore.com
 

2-     Punch a variety of punches in different leaf formations. Then punch some more.
 

3-     Start with some of your punches, for a small bush that is completely dead I chose the birch leaves. Taking your tweezers, pick up each of your chosen leaves and dip them one by one into the dirty wash water, then lay aside. You need to wet the leaves to soften the cardstock to make them ready to look dead. Don’t worry about the dirty wash, remember, your leaves are dead.
 

4-     Place your damp leaves on your mouse pad or fun foam. Taking your ball stylus, 'curl' the leaves by rubbing your tool in a tiny circular motion until the paper curls at the edges. Place to the side, and let dry.
 

5-     You should have a host of curled damp & drying dead leaves. Take your glue and put into a small puddle on your wax paper. Taking your leaf into the tweezers, dip into the glue and then apply randomly on your sealed dead flower stalk. If you are using dried floral materials, punching and curling leaves is unnecessary.
 

6-     Your pots are ready for planting. Taking your craft floral foam, crumble into small pieces. Dribble some glue into the pot - and stuff the crumbled pieces into the pot. This is where the creating comes in, if you wish a full pot of 'soil' fill all the way, or just fill the pot halfway. If you are using railroad ballast, spread some glue across the top of the floral foam and scatter. If you have no dirt, you can also paint the floral foam storm grey or burnt umber. Add a curled dead leaf into the topsoil for added realism.
 

7-     Poke a hole into the floral foam & dirt and ‘plant’ your dead plant. Let dry.

**Optional: After the plant is dry, you can opt to seal it again with the spray sealer. Display your plant on a front porch of your 'haunted' house, cemetery, etc. Another touch of realism is to add cob webbing material available in the dollar store for spider webs in the plant. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

 

Shopping resources:

The Punch Bunch mini & small punches:

http://www.kingwilliamminiatures.us

http://stores.ebay.com/pumpkinhillstudios

Scrapbook paper:

http://www.MemoriesGalore.com   (scrapbook store located in Richmond, Va.)

Michael's  - glues, tools, scrapbook papers, dried floral arrangements & terra cotta pots in one inch scale, paints

Dried flower stems, seed pods, flower stalks, etc. - Your Own Back Yard!